Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Value Assigned, Per Share

No definition available.

Name:	sdlp_BusinessAcquisitionEquityInterestIssuedorIssuableValueAssignedPerShare
Namespace Prefix:	sdlp_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Working Capital Adjustment

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sdlp_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferredWorkingCapitalAdjustment
Namespace Prefix:	sdlp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Business Combination, Excess Of Purchase Price Over Book Value Of Net Assets Acquired, Recorded As Reduction To Equity

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sdlp_BusinessCombinationExcessOfPurchasePriceOverBookValueOfNetAssetsAcquiredRecordedAsReductionToEquity
Namespace Prefix:	sdlp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Value of equity interests (such as common shares, preferred shares, or partnership interest) issued or issuable to acquire the entity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)(4)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35744584&loc=d3e6927-128479

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionEquityInterestIssuedOrIssuableValueAssigned
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of shares of equity interests issued or issuable to acquire entity.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionEquityInterestsIssuedOrIssuableNumberOfSharesIssued
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of voting equity interests acquired at the acquisition date in the business combination.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25497992&loc=d3e1392-128463

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPercentageOfVotingInterestsAcquired
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of consideration transferred, consisting of acquisition-date fair value of assets transferred by the acquirer, liabilities incurred by the acquirer, and equity interest issued by the acquirer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 30
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911251&loc=d3e6578-128477

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35744584&loc=d3e6927-128479

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 30
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911251&loc=d3e6613-128477

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of liabilities incurred by the acquirer as part of consideration transferred in a business combination.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 25
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911189&loc=d3e6405-128476

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 30
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911251&loc=d3e6578-128477

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 30
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911251&loc=d3e6613-128477

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferredLiabilitiesIncurred
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19, 22
-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=sdlp_TenderRigT16Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SubsidiarySaleOfStockAxis=us-gaap_PrivatePlacementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=sdlp_Creditfacility440Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=us-gaap_SecuredDebtMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

T-16 Acquisition (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
	Oct. 18, 2013	Dec. 31, 2015	May. 17, 2013
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consideration transferred		$ 2,695.0
Contingent consideration		898.8
Plus: Working capital adjustment		2.2
Excess of sales price over net assets acquired		$ 1,306.6
Tender Rig T16
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage of voting interests acquired	100.00%
Consideration transferred	$ 200.0
Contingent consideration	93.1
Plus: Working capital adjustment	39.0
Excess of sales price over net assets acquired	$ 67.6
Private Placement \| Tender Rig T16
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Common units issued as consideration (in shares)	3,310,622
Business acquisition, equity interest issued or issuable, share price	$ 32.29
Business acquisition, equity interest issued, value assigned	$ 106.9
$440 facility \| Secured Debt
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 440.0		$ 440.0